Easy, time-saving holiday treat recipes: Sheet tray holiday cookies, Rudolph peanut butter cups and more
With thousands of search results for holiday treats online, it can be tough to sift through the seemingly endless list to find the perfect festive recipe.
Christmas saltine cracker treats consistently take over on TikTok this time of year, while traditional food blogs offer more detailed directions for seasonal sweets and family favorites.
"Good Morning America" found a few new simple holiday treats -- developed, tested and perfected by top food creators -- to add to any table this season.
Check out their recipes below.
Santa Sandwich Cookies
Best Friends for Frosting founder and recipe creator Melissa Johnson said she's "always brainstorming easy holiday desserts that you can whip up using ingredients you already have or can easily find" and shared a simple dipped cookie idea that resembles Santa.
"I love turning Oreos into super fun holiday treats," Johnson told "GMA," adding that the cookies is a "perfect base because of their round shape."
Ingredients
Golden Oreos
White chocolate
Red candy melts
Red M&M's
Mini marshmallows
Mini chocolate chips
Directions
Melt the white chocolate in a bowl. Melt the red candy melts in a separate bowl.
Dip 1/3 of the cookie in the white chocolate for Santa’s beard. Dip the opposite 1/3 in the red candy melts for his hat. Top with a mini marshmallow on the end of the hat. Place one red M&M at the top of the white chocolate for his nose and add chocolate chips for his eyes.
Sheet Tray Holiday Cookie Bars 6 Ways
Maegan Brown, aka The Baker Mama, has tons of delicious and festive treat ideas, including her adorable snack boards, and this baking hack is perfect for anyone who needs a hand baking a variety of cookies.
Her recipe uses a simple base cookie dough that can be made into six possible flavor combinations: Caramel Pecan Chocolate Chip with Sea Salt, Snickerdoodle, Holiday Sprinkles, Cranberry White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss, and Chocolate Chip with Holiday M&M's. The best part is they all bake on a single sheet tray.
Check out her full recipe here for the base cookie dough and mix in tips, perfect for any time-pressed hosts this holiday season.
Ornament Brownie Balls
Brown also shared this simple dessert idea for ornament-inspired brownie bites. Click here to get the full recipe.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Alaura Berry, who has been styling food for more than five years and sharing her recipes with Instagram followers at @berryandtheboards, shared a simple treat that would be perfect at a holiday party or as a sweet homemade gift for the chocolate-lover in your life.
"I love how simple and easy these are," she told "GMA" of the riff on her recipe that was first conceived as bats for Halloween. "Everyone loved them so much, I had to come up with a fun, cute spin on a treat for the holiday season."
In addition to serving for dessert, she suggested adding these to a holiday cheese board for something that can "add a little more to the theme without being over the top."
Berry's best advice for home cooks tackling treats and other holiday recipes this season is "to not stress yourself out by trying to make your food look perfect," she said. "There is no such thing, and in the end, it's edible and that is what matters most -- and of course, have fun with it."
Ingredients
Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Pretzels
Melted chocolate to hold on the eyes and nose
Edible eyes
Red Hots candies
Directions
Melt your favorite chocolate in a small bowl.
Peel off the wrapper on the peanut butter cup.
Snap the pretzels in half to use as the antlers.
Use a small spoon to place some melted chocolate on the flat top of the peanut butter cup. Add the edible eyes on top and add the Red Hot at the base of the cup for the nose.
Use a small paring knife to make two small cuts on the side of the cup. Place one end of the half pretzel into the slit and repeat on the second side to create antlers.
Serve and enjoy!
No-bake Pretzel Wreath Treats
Mom and life-hack expert Kamry Vincent shared this simple no-cooking-required sweet and salty recipe that uses just four store-bought ingredients.
Ingredients
Mini pretzels
Green candy melts
Twizzlers (pull and peel)
Sprinkles
Parchment paper
Directions
Melt your candy melts.
Dip the bottom of each mini pretzel into the candy melts and arrange in a circle on the parchment paper.
Now, add a second layer of dipped pretzels.
Sprinkle on your sprinkles and add a Twizzler bow. Let them set up and enjoy!
DIY Chocolate Pretzel Christmas Trees
This story was first published on Dec. 12, 2023.
